What’s Keeping Us From Loving God?

Eagle's Landing Sermons

“That you…may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” — Ephesians 3:18–19 Love is not merely what God does, it’s who God is. “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:6-8 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” — Deuteronomy 6:5 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…” — Deuteronomy 10:12 “You shall therefore love the LORD your God…” — Deuteronomy 11:1 “…to love the LORD your God and serve Him…” — Deuteronomy 11:13 “…love the LORD your God and walk in obedience to Him…” — Deuteronomy 11:22 “If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways…” — Deuteronomy 30:16 “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways…” — Joshua 22:5 “Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God.” — Joshua 23:11 “Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.” — Psalm 31:23 “Jesus answered him, ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word…’” — John 14:23 “Though you have not seen him, you love him…” — 1 Peter 1:8 “Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” — Ephesians 6:24 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” — Mark 12:30 “Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” — Ephesians 5:1-2 What’s keeping us from loving God? 1. We reject God’s authority. “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” — Genesis 2:16–17 God doesn’t establish his authority to keep us from what is good, He establishes his authority to protect us from what is bad. “I’m amazed that so many Christians want the benefits of the Kingdom of God, with the caveat that they themselves will be the King.” — John Cooper 2. We love ourselves too much. “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” — Matthew 22:37 “This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” — Matthew 22:38-39 3. We find our identity in self. Five Evidences of Loving God 1. An increasing desire to spend time with God. 2. An increasing desire to depend on God. 3. An increasing desire to flee from sin. 4. An increasing desire to gather with God’s people. 5. An increasing desire to tell others about God.